This Christmas Eve, December 24, 2014, marks 100 years since a Christmas truce took place in Belgium during World War I. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is commemorating the anniversary by participating in the release of a video in a joint project with other faith groups.
Faith Counts, a multi-faith organization in the United States, has launched a website and released a YouTube video titled “Peace Is Possible: The Christmas Truce of 1914” that recounts the truce that took place on Flanders Fields in Belgium. The group is using the hashtag #peaceispossible for its online campaign.
“The beauty of this Christmas truce video is that it really showcases the power of faith to bring hope and peace, even in the darkest of times. It beautifully tells the story of what happened 100 years ago during World War I, but it also prompts the viewer to look inward and discover how faith can bring peace in our modern lives,” said Kerry Troup, spokesperson for Faith Counts.
Faith Counts worked with students at Brigham Young University to produce the video. Graphic design and animation students enhanced original black and white photography to include motion in the video. Film students spent time in Belgium this fall shooting video from current day Flanders Fields. The video shows pictures of locations damaged by the war and what those sites look like today. The BYU men’s chorus composed and performed a special arrangement of “Silent Night,” which was sung during the Christmas truce.
In the United Kingdom, Church leaders are presenting a special program called “The Christmas Truce” to share the 100-year-old story and share an evening of Christmas carols. For more information about the project and to find times and locations, please visit the event website.
Faith Counts is a nonprofit, nondenominational organization comprised of many religious communities to promote the value of faith.